Cry'd, oh! and mounted: found no opposition
But what he look'd for should oppose, and she
Should from encounter guard. Could I find out
The woman's part in me! For there's no motion
That tends to vice in man, but I affirm

It is the woman's part: Be it lying, note it,
The woman's; flattering, hers; deceiving, hers;
Ambitions, covetings, change of prides, disdain,
Nice longings, slanders, mutability,

All faults that may be nam'd, nay, that hell knows,
Why, hers, in part, or all; but, rather, all:
For ev'n to vice

They are not constant, but are changing still
One vice, but of a minute old, for one

Not half so old as that. I'll write against them,
Detest them, curse them: Yet 'tis greater skill
In a true hate, to pray they have their will:

The

very devils cannot plague them better3. [Exit.

ACT III.

SCENE I. Britain. A Room of State in
Cymbeline's Palace.

Enter CYMBELINE, Queen, CLOTEN, and Lords, at one Door; and at another, CAIUS LUCIUS, and Attendants.

Cym. Now say, what would Augustus Cæsar with us?

Luc. When Julius Cæsar (whose remembrance yet Lives in men's eyes; and will to ears, and tongues, Be theme, and hearing ever), was in this Britain,

3 God could not lightly do a man more vengeance, than in this world to grant him his own foolish wishes.'-Sir T. More's Comfort against Tribulation.

And conquer'd it, Cassibelan, thine uncle
(Famous in Cæsar's praises, no whit less
Than in his feats deserving it), for him,
And his succession, granted Rome a tribute,
Yearly three thousand pounds; which by thee lately
Is left untender'd.

Queen.

Shall be so ever.

Clo.

And, to kill the marvel,

There be many Cæsars,

Ere such another Julius. Britain is

A world by itself; and we will nothing pay,
For wearing our own noses.

Queen.

That opportunity, Which then they had to take from us, to resume We have again.-Remember, sir, my liege, The kings your ancestors; together with The natural bravery of your isle; which stands As Neptune's park, ribbed and paled in With rocks unscaleable, and roaring waters; With sands, that will not bear your enemies' boats, But suck them up to the top-mast. A kind of conquest Cæsar made here; but made not here his brag

Of, came, and saw, and overcame; with shame (The first that ever touch'd him), he was carried From off our coast, twice beaten; and his shipping, (Poor ignorant baubles!) on our terrible seas, Like egg-shells mov'd upon their surges, crack'd As easily 'gainst our rocks: for joy whereof, The fam'd Cassibelan, who was once at point (0, giglot1 fortune!) to master Cæsar's sword,

1 O false and inconstant fortune!' A giglot was a strumpet. So in Measure for Measure, vol. ii. p. 106:-' Away with those giglots too.' And in Hamlet :

·

Out, out, thou strumpet fortune!'

The poet has transferred to Cassibelan an adventure which happened to his brother Nennius. See Holinshed, book iii. ch. xiii. The same historie also maketh mention of Nennius, brother to

Made Lud's town with rejoicing fires bright,
And Britons strut with courage.

Clo. Come, there's no more tribute to be paid: Our kingdom is stronger than it was at that time; and, as I said, there is no more such Cæsars: other of them may have crooked noses: but, to owe such straight arms, none.

Cym. Son, let your mother end.

Clo. We have yet many among us can gripe as hard as Cassibelan: I do not say, I am one; but I have a hand. Why tribute? why should we pay tribute? If Cæsar can hide the sun from us with a blanket, or put the moon in his pocket, we will pay him tribute for light; else, sir, no more tribute, pray

you now.

Cym. You must know,

Till the injurious Romans did extort

This tribute from us, we were free: Cæsar's ambition
(Which swell'd so much, that it did almost stretch
The sides o' the world), against all colour, here
Did put the yoke upon us; which to shake off,
Becomes a warlike people, whom we reckon
Ourselves to be. We do say then to Cæsar,
Our ancestor was that Mulmutius, which
Ordain'd our laws; whose use the sword of Cæsar
Hath too much mangled; whose repair, and fran-

chise,

Shall, by the power we hold, be our good deed, (Though Rome be therefore angry); Mulmutius made our laws,

Who was the first of Britain, which did put

Cassibelane, who in fight happened to get Cæsar's sword fastened in his shield, by a blow which Cæsar stroke at him. But Nennius died, within 15 daies after the battel, of the hurt received at Cæsar's hand; although after he was hurt he slew Labienus, one of the Roman tribunes.'

2 i. e. without any pretence of right.

His brows within a golden crown, and call'd
Himself a king.

Luc.
I am sorry, Cymbeline,
That I am to pronounce Augustus Cæsar
(Cæsar, that hath more kings his servants, than
Thyself domestick officers), thine enemy:
Receive it from me, then :-War, and confusion,
In Cæsar's name pronounce I 'gainst thee: look
For fury not to be resisted:-Thus defied,

I thank thee for myself.

Cym. Thou art welcome, Caius. Thy Cæsar knighted me; my youth I spent Much under him3; of him I gather'd honour; Which he, to seek of me again, perforce, Behoves me keep at utterance; I am perfect5, That the Pannonians and Dalmatians, for Their liberties, are now in arms: a precedent Which, not to read, would show the Britons cold: So Cæsar shall not find them.

Luc. Let proof speak. Clo. His majesty bids you welcome. Make pastime with us a day, or two, longer: If you seek us afterwards in other terms, you shall find us in our salt-water girdle: if you beat us out of it, it is yours; if you fall in the adventure, our crows shall fare the better for you; and there's an end.

Luc. So, sir.

Cym. I know your master's pleasure, and he

mine:

All the remain is, welcome.

[Exeunt.

3 Some few hints for this part of the play are taken from Holinshed.

4 i. e. at the extremity of defiance. So in Helyas Knight of the Swanne, blk 1. no date:- Here is my gage to sustain it to the utterance, and befight it to the death.'

5 Well informed.

VOL. IX.

G

SCENE II. Another Room in the same.

Enter PISANIO.

Pis. How! of adultery? Wherefore write you not What monster's her accuser?-Leonatus!

O, master! what a strange infection

Is fallen into thy ear? What false Italian
(As poisonous tongu'd, as handed) hath prevail'd
On thy too ready hearing?-Disloyal? No:
She's punish'd for her truth; and undergoes,
More goddess-like than wife-like, such assaults
As would take in1 some virtue.-O, my master!
Thy mind to her is now as low, as were

Thy fortunes 2.-How! that I should murder her?
Upon the love, and truth, and vows, which I
Have made to thy command?-I, her?-her blood?
If it be so to do good service, never

Let me be counted serviceable. How look I,
That I should seem to lack humanity,

So much as this fact comes to? Do't: The letter

[Reading.

That I have sent her, by her own command

Shall give thee opportunity3 :—O damn'd paper! Black as the ink that's on thee! Senseless bauble,

1 To take in is to conquer. So in Antony and Cleopatra:cut the Ionian seas

6

And take in Toryne.

2 Thy mind compared to hers is now as low as thy condition was compared to hers. According to modern notions of grammatical construction it should be thy mind to hers.'

3 The words here read by Pisanio from his master's letter (as it is afterwards given in prose) are not found there, though the substance of them is contained in it. Malone thinks this a proof that Shakspeare had no view to the publication of his pieces, the inaccuracy would hardly be detected by the ear of the spectator, though it could hardly escape an attentive reader.